Viewing Object

The Fernridge Hall, located at 2389 200 Street, was constructed in 1921 to serve as a gathering and event space for the local community. Edward Bence Stinchcombe (1866-1929) was the original owner of the parcel of land on which the Fernridge Hall is located. Stinchcombe acquired the land in 1903 through a Crown Grant and it remained in his ownership until 1927 when it was transferred to the ownership of the Fern Ridge Farmers Institute, two years before Stinchcombe’s death. The interwar period (1920-1934) was tumultuous, as many communities experienced a short, but prosperous development boom, followed by the devastating stock market crash of 1929. The Fernridge Hall was constructed in 1921, just following the First World War, when the economy was still in a delicate state, yet communities were growing quickly, as soldiers returned and established larger, settled families. The Fernridge Hall was lost likely constructed as a response to the demand of this growing community. On August 6th, 1931 the Hall, then known as the Fern Ridge Farmers Institute Hall, was severely damaged in a dynamite explosion. In 1943, ownership of the Hall transferred to the Campbell River Heritage community Club, followed by the Fernridge Community Club in 1952, and, finally, the Fernridge Community Hall Society, which acquired the property in June 1986 and continues to operate the site.
As of 2012, the Fernridge Hall continues to be an important local gathering place. It retains its original appearance, though a kitchen/entryway/washroom area was added in 1957 and vinyl siding was clad on top of the original siding. The Hall maintains original elements such as its vaulted ceiling, hardwood floors, stage area, and window assemblies.

The Hall was added to the Langley Heritage Inventory in 2012 because "as one of the earliest and only remaining community buildings in the area, the Fernridge Hall is significant to the post-World War I development of Langley"

All information from the Langley Heritage Inventory Assessment, 2012.